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2020-10-22: News Headlines

Stephanie Tromblay (2020-10-22). Indigenous Peoples Day in the time of COVID-19. workers.org "We are not your Halloween costumes! We are not your dime store Indians!" a speaker shouted from the bandstand on the Santa Fe Plaza this Indigenous Peoples Day in Santa Fe, N.M., as a colonialist obelisk was taken down by Puebloan activists To see people still celebrating Columbus in the . . . |

MEE and agencies (2020-10-22). Israeli delegation travels to Sudan to discuss normalisation: Report. middleeasteye.net Israeli delegation travels to Sudan to discuss normalisation: Report | Israel's Kan radio gave no further details about the talks as a minister predicted a possible diplomatic breakthrough | Thu, 10/22/2020 – 08: 27 | Israeli public broadcaster Kan radio said the discussions were held in Khartoum (AFP) | An Israeli delegation made a rare visit to Sudan on Wednesday to discuss normalising t…

Eds. (2020-10-22). Indonesia's return to an authoritarian developmental state. mronline.org With the passing of the anti-worker Omnibus Law, President Jokowi's administration follows the path of Indonesia's dark past.

Kareem Chehayeb (2020-10-22). Lebanon: Hariri again tasked with forming new government. middleeasteye.net Lebanon: Hariri again tasked with forming new government | Future Movement leader secures enough nominations to become prime minister-designate but faces tricky task to build coalition | Thu, 10/22/2020 – 12: 01 | Saad Hariri delivers a statement after the president named him to form a new cabinet, at the presidential palace in Baabda (AFP) | One year after being turfed out of office by mass…

MEE correspondent (2020-10-22). Iranian press review: Lifting of UN arms embargo celebrated by reformists. middleeasteye.net Iranian press review: Lifting of UN arms embargo celebrated by reformists | Meanwhile, hardline lawmakers increase pressure on President Hassan Rouhani, and Iranians shocked by suicide of young student | Thu, 10/22/2020 – 11: 11 | A missile being fired out to sea from a mobile launch vehicle, southern coast of Iran, 18 June 2018 (AFP/HO/Iranian Army Office) | Political factions divi…

Joe Dyke (2020-10-22). Israeli NGOs demand government allow UN rights monitors. middleeasteye.net Israeli NGOs demand government allow UN rights monitors | Prominent rights groups write to Israel's foreign minister following MEE revelation that OHCHR workers had stopped receiving visas | Thu, 10/22/2020 – 08: 55 | Visitors on a tour held by NGO "Breaking the Silence" walk down Shuhada Street in the West Bank city of Hebron (Reuters) | Major Israeli rights organisations have written to the country's foreign mi…

The Canary (2020-10-22). Thailand cancels state of emergency in bid to calm pro-democracy protests. thecanary.co Thailand's government has cancelled a state of emergency it declared last week for Bangkok in a gesture offered by the embattled prime minister to cool massive student-led protests seeking democracy reforms.The decree had banned public gatherings of more than four people and allowed censorship of the media, among other provisions. It was challenged in court by an opposition party and a group of university students.The revocation of the emergency decree declared that the situation had been mitigated and could now be dealt with by existing laws.Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has faced calls to step down (Governme…

RT (2020-10-22). Hunter's business partner CONFIRMS authenticity of laptop email, claims Joe Biden was part of Chinese deals. rt.com A former associate of Hunter Biden's has said that an email addressed to him concerning potentially shady deals with a Chinese firm is genuine and that Hunter's father was also involved in the scheme, and got a 10 percent cut. | A tranche of emails, text messages and photos, allegedly taken from a hard drive that belonged to the former vice president's son and published by the New York Post, have been dismissed by many media outlets as "unverified" and potentially even "Russian disinformation." Twitter even blocked the link to the original story. But now a man claiming to be a recipient of one of the leaked em…

Suadad al-Salhy (2020-10-22). EXCLUSIVE: Iran's Khamenei ordered end to Iraqi attacks on US interests. middleeasteye.net EXCLUSIVE: Iran's Khamenei ordered end to Iraqi attacks on US interests | Fearful of a ferocious response from Trump, the Iranian leader listened to British advice and told Iraq's paramilitaries to stand down | Thu, 10/22/2020 – 08: 15 | Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei told his Iraqi allies to halt their attacks in person (AFP) | The order for Iraqi armed factions to halt their attacks on…

RT (2020-10-22). Conservatives accuse Twitter of selectively ignoring own policies on REVENGE PORN, misleading content in Borat prank on Giuliani. rt.com Conservatives blasted Twitter for ignoring and even promoting what they called a misleading revenge-porn attack on Rudy Giuliani after censoring reporting on alleged influence-peddling by Joe Biden's family. | At issue was a picture posted on Twitter on Wednesday showing Giuliani laying back on a bed with his hand reaching inside his pants while a woman stands nearby. The image was taken from the new 'Borat' sequel, in which Giuliani, a personal lawyer for President Donald Trump, believed himself to be doing an interview on the Covid-19 pandemic with a female Russian reporter. After the interview, Giuliani and…

RT (2020-10-22). US federal judge says Trump's tweet calling to release Russiagate docs with 'no redactions' was NOT official order amid FOIA suits. rt.com A US judge has ruled that a tweet sent by President Donald Trump earlier this month did not constitute an order to declassify material linked to the Russiagate probe, as CNN and Buzzfeed press for the docs in ongoing lawsuits. | US District Judge Reggie Walton said on Wednesday that, while the tweet appeared to order the release of new material free of any redactions, a clarification from White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows qualified as a reversal of the move. The judge was also critical of the administration for a lack of clarity on the question. | "It is unfortunate that we are in this situation because,…

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-10-22). Will Azerbaijani Gas Compete with Russia in Southern Europe? globalresearch.ca The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) will become operational in November and will deliver Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian fields to countries in southern Europe. This gives Russia a new competitor in the European energy market. This would have raised questions in …

WSWS (2020-10-22). Sri Lankan SEP to hold online meeting on a socialist program to fight COVID-19. wsws.org The event will discuss the policies necessary for workers, the rural poor and youth to combat the coronavirus disaster and the Rajapakse administration's austerity and anti-democratic measures.

Stephen Lendman (2020-10-22). Trump Regime Maximum Pressure on Iran a Crime Against Humanity. globalresearch.ca On Sunday, the UN arms embargo on Iran its ruling authorities voluntarily accepted ended. | Iran is now once again free to buy and sell conventional arms — what many other countries do unrestrained. | Key to understand is that the Islamic …

Pepe Escobar (2020-10-22). Russia and the EU: "Business as Usual" Is Over. globalresearch.ca This article was originally published on Sergey Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister, is the world's foremost diplomat. The son of an Armenian father and a Russian mother, he's just on another level altogether. Here, once again, we …

Press TV (2020-10-22). Yemen: Prisoner Swap and What May be Behind It. dissidentvoice.org Transcript of an Interview with Press TV Background The fourth batch of Yemeni detainees has arrived in Sana'a as part of the largest prisoner swap between the country's warring sides. The residents in the capital received 112 prisoners after their plane landed in the Sana'a international airport. 1,081 men will be released in two days. …

NAACP (2020-10-22). Sunday 10/25: The Value of a Black Woman's Vote Rountable w/ NAACP. indybay.org Online roundtable…

Stronger Together (2020-10-22). At Women's March in Petaluma, GOP Called Out for Assault on Women. indybay.org "This Presidency is the Worst Period Woman's Ever Had" and other messages from the North Bay.

yenisafak (2020-10-22). Top Belgian diplomat in intensive care with COVID-19. yenisafak.com Belgium's foreign minister has been hospitalized in intensive care for treatment of the coronavirus.A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman on Thursday confirmed Sophie Wilmes had been in hospital since last night.Wilmes announced Saturday on Twitter that she had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, adding: "An infection that probably occurred in the family circle, given the precautions I have taken outdoors." She was in self-quarantine since Friday.In the past few days, Belgium has recorded a steep rise in the infections. With the country's health minister warning of a "tsunami" of infections, the government has or…

yenisafak (2020-10-22). Thailand lifts state of emergency in capital. yenisafak.com Thailand on Thursday ended the state of emergency in the capital Bangkok.The week-long measure was imposed amid ongoing anti-government protests and barred large gatherings.The state of emergency was officially lifted at 12 p.m. local time (0500GMT)."The move follows a de-escalation in the situation that allows authorities to use existing laws to manage protests," read a notification in the Royal Gazette signed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.Demonstrations have continued in some parts of the country demanding the premier's resignation, dissolution of the parliament, reforms to the monarchy, and freedom to cr…

yenisafak (2020-10-22). Turkey neutralizes 3 YPG/PKK terrorists in N.Syria. yenisafak.com "Three PKK/YPG terrorists, who tried to infiltrate the [Operation] Peace Spring area to disrupt the peace and security environment, were neutralized by our heroic commandos," the ministry said on Twitter.Turkish officials often use the word "neutralize" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).In its more th…

Susan Price (2020-10-22). Indonesia: New rebels, new movement, new hope. greenleft.org.au Since Indonesia's parliament secretly signed the Omnibus Job Creation bill into law, more than 100,000 people have protested across the country, writes Wagimanto. This movement is involving scores of civil society, labour, student and political groups and masses of young people fed up with President Joko Widodo's betrayal of hope.

WSWS (2020-10-22). Sri Lankan workers must rally the rural poor against Rajapakse's "herd immunity" policies. wsws.org The true situation was hidden from the outset because the government refused to implement rigorous anti-COVID-19 measures when the virus first impacted on the country in late January.

WSWS (2020-10-22). Statements from Canada, India and Sri Lanka in support of Dr. Scalice. wsws.org "Dr. Scalice has thoroughly exposed the politically criminal role played by the Stalinist Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in paving the way for the anti-working class dictatorial regimes of Marcos and Duterte."

Alan Macleod (2020-10-21). Defense Sectary Visits Hawkish Atlantic Council to Announce US Troop Buildup on Russia Border. mintpressnews.com US Defense Secretary Mark Esper visited the notorious Atlantic Council, funded by a who's who of weapons makers and despotic regimes, to announce that the US would not, indeed, be withdrawing troops from Germany but sending them to Russia's border instead.

Ed Rampell (2020-10-21). More capsule reviews from 2020 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. peoplesworld.org The first installment of reviews from this year's 36th annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival can be found here. Further shorts, documentaries, animation, and features by and about the Pacific Islands' Indigenous peoples are available online through Oct. 31. 'Liliu': Samoa's decolonization struggle When I lived in Tafitoala, Upolu, the village's high chief, Ale …

Juan Cole (2020-10-21). Is it an accident that Iran and the US, two Theocracies, are Coronavirus Basket Cases? zcomm.org One clue to why the two countries are doing so badly with regard to basic public health strategy may lie in the importance of religion to both of these societies…

Lucas Leiroz de Almeida (2020-10-21). Brazil Chooses US as Its Partner in 5G Technology, Refusing China. globalresearch.ca After months of controversy and discussions, Brazil has chosen to prioritize the US as a partner in 5G technology. The decision contradicts the opinion of the greatest experts on the subject, who see the choice as Brazil's alignment to Washington …

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2020-10-21). How Biden Flubbed Town Hall Foreign Policy Question. counterpunch.org Toward the end of Joe Biden's October 15 town hall session, a Trump supporter asked Biden the only foreign policy question of the night. "So peace is breaking out all over the world," the questioner claimed. "Our troops are coming home. Serbia is talking to Kosovo. And the Arabs and Israelis are talking peace, which

Nadda Osman (2020-10-21). Kuwait deports Lebanese TV presenter over 'immoral' social media content. middleeasteye.net Kuwait deports Lebanese TV presenter over 'immoral' social media content | The decision to deport Sazdell has sparked a wider conversation online on what public morals are | Wed, 10/21/2020 – 12: 59 | Sazdell said she was not told of specific rules she had violated (Screengrab/Instagram) | Kuwait's Ministry of Interior has deported Sazdell El Kak, a Lebanese presenter and public figure, for "violating pu…

Shatha Hammad (2020-10-21). 'Paradise lost': How Israel turned the West Bank into a sewage dump for its settlements. middleeasteye.net 'Paradise lost': How Israel turned the West Bank into a sewage dump for its settlements | Untreated wastewater has destroyed the soil of Palestinian villages, causing often ancient olive trees to die and livelihoods to be lost | Wed, 10/21/2020 – 09: 14 | Residents and farmers say increasing quantities of sewage are being pumped onto their lands from the illegal settlements (MEE/Supplied) | Abdulla…

Karamo Muchuri Sulieman (2020-10-21). U.S. AFRICOM: Africa and the world in the crosshairs. peoplesworld.org U.S. AFRICOM, acronym for the United States Africa Command, was founded in 2007 in response to what the U.S. Defense Department viewed as a growing threat from the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation. One might have believed that with the end of the Cold War the U. S. government would cease its …

Ramzy Baroud (2020-10-21). European Hypocrisy: Empty Words for Palestine, Deadly Weapons for Israel. dissidentvoice.org In theory, Europe and the United States stand on completely opposite sides when it comes to the Israeli occupation of Palestine. While the US government has fully embraced the tragic status quo created by 53 years of Israeli military occupation, the EU continues to advocate a negotiated settlement that is predicated on respect for international …

MEE staff (2020-10-21). Israeli policeman who killed autistic Palestinian charged with reckless homicide. middleeasteye.net Israeli policeman who killed autistic Palestinian charged with reckless homicide | Rights group says higher charges should have been levied; defence lawyers say killing was 'tragedy, but not a criminal offense' | Wed, 10/21/2020 – 18: 07 | Demonstrators raise portrait of Iyad al-Halak in protest against Israeli government near prime minister's residence in Jerusalem in July (AFP/File photo) | An Israeli police…

MEE staff (2020-10-21). Syria still not sharing information on missing US journalist Austin Tice, Pompeo says. middleeasteye.net Syria still not sharing information on missing US journalist Austin Tice, Pompeo says | Secretary of State says Washington will not change policy towards Syria to obtain release of detained Americans | Wed, 10/21/2020 – 19: 24 | Austin Tice was detained checkpoint near Damascus in August 2012 while covering Syrian conflict (AFP/File photo) | The Syrian government has not shared any information on the whereabou…

Umar A Farooq (2020-10-21). US court grants pro-Palestinian group legal victory in terrorism case. middleeasteye.net US court grants pro-Palestinian group legal victory in terrorism case | Court rules American Muslims for Palestine not tied to groups found responsible for killing of US citizen in Jerusalem in 1996 | Wed, 10/21/2020 – 17: 38 | Demonstrators call for independent Palestinian state during protest outside White House in 2018 (AFP/File photo) | A US court ruled in favour of pro-Palestinian groups in a…

MEE staff (2020-10-21). Israel operated secret embassy in Bahrain for more than a decade: Report. middleeasteye.net Israel operated secret embassy in Bahrain for more than a decade: Report | Mission conducted diplomacy with Bahrain via front company listed as commercial consulting firm, Axios reports | Wed, 10/21/2020 – 21: 20 | Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani, right, and Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat bump elbows after signing ceremony in Manama on 18 October (AFP/File photo)…

RT (2020-10-21). Thailand's PM vows to lift state of emergency, but protesters insist he must quit in 3 days. rt.com Embattled Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has promised to lift the state of emergency in Bangkok to defuse tensions with protesters, but it wasn't enough to make demonstrators retract their demand for his swift resignation. | Prayuth appeared on TV on Wednesday, insisting that he was ready to "make the first move to de-escalate this situation" in the capital, which has seen mass protests for three months. He said that he will lift "the state of severe emergency" introduced in Bangkok last week if no violent incidents occur during the ongoing gatherings. | The protests in Thailand have been mostly peacefu…

RT (2020-10-21). Greece, Egypt and Cyprus jointly condemn Turkey's 'aggression' in Eastern Mediterranean. rt.com Turkey's natural gas exploration and military activities in the disputed waters of the Eastern Mediterranean have been roundly condemned by its neighbors, who also criticized the recent reopening of a beach area in North Cyprus. | In a joint statement issued on Wednesday at a one-day summit, the leaders of Egypt, Cyprus and Greece rebuked what they termed Ankara's "illegal drilling" and "aggression" in the region. The trio called on Ankara to cease its activities in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off Cyprus, the outer border of which runs close to Turkey. | It is the latest exchange in a terse war of words…

RT (2020-10-21). Former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko investigated for plotting coup. rt.com The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office has launched a criminal case into an alleged coup plot by former President Petro Poroshenko and his associates, an opposition MP has announced, publishing scans of the relevant documents. | "I publish documents … about launching an investigation into the facts of illegal seizure of state power, large-scale embezzlement and legalizing 'dirty' money by an organized criminal group" which Poroshenko was allegedly part of, Renat Kuzmin, an MP for the 'Opposition Platform — For Life' political party, wrote on Facebook. | The deputy listed Ukraine's former Acting Presi…

RT (2020-10-21). State Department gives green light for $1.8bn arms deal to Taiwan after Beijing threatens countermeasures. rt.com The US State Department has approved a sale of advanced weaponry worth over $1.8 billion to Taiwan, the Pentagon said, leaving Congress to give final authorization as Beijing slams the deal as provocative and warns of retaliation. | The proposed arms transfer was certified by the State Department on Wednesday,

RT (2020-10-21). UK being challenged by competitors 'in the grey zone between war and peace,' defence secretary claims. rt.com The British defence secretary has stressed the importance of stepping up the UK's protective capabilities amidst constantly evolving rivalries, adding that China is intent on building the world's largest naval fleet. | Addressing the Atlantic Future Forum onboard the HMS Queen Elizabeth on Wednesday, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace spoke of the constant competition the UK was facing in the "grey zone between war and peace," while specifically singling out China as an ever-evolving rival. | China is growing the largest maritime surface and subsurface fleet in the world. | Referencing London's decision to delay it…

RT (2020-10-21). WATCH: Justin Gaethje ditches interim lightweight belt at face-off with Khabib ahead of UFC 254. rt.com Justin Gaethje ditched his interim lightweight belt during his face-off with Khabib Nurmagomedov ahead of their clash at UFC 254 at Fight Island on Saturday. | Gaethje will be hoping to take the Russian's championship title when they meet in the Octagon, and he made his feelings about his own belt clear in Wednesday's face-off. | The pair were handed their belts as they posed for photos after a respectful staredown, but after several seconds – who looked almost embarrassed to hold it – quickly gave it back. | The American has form in this area. | Gaethje won the interim belt in May with a fifth-round knocko…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-10-21). Is the European Union Qualified to Broker Peace Between Israel and Palestine? mintpressnews.com In theory, Europe and the United States stand on completely opposite sides when it comes to the Israeli occupation of Palestine. While the US government has fully embraced the tragic status quo created by 53 years of Israeli military occupation, the EU In practice, however, despite the seeming rift between Washington and Brussels, the outcome is, essentially, the same. The US and Europe are Israel's largest trade pa…

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-10-21). US Failed to Turn the Philippines Against China Despite Maritime Demarcation Issues. globalresearch.ca Cooperation between China and the Philippines could easily be hindered by U.S. interference in territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Washington wants to exploit Chinese-Filipino contentions in their demarcation claims over the South China Sea in an attempt to …

Pip Hinman (2020-10-21). A step forward over war crimes in Afghanistan. greenleft.org.au Serious criminal charges against ABC journalist Dan Oakes for reporting leaked material on Australian elite troops committing atrocities in Afghanistan have been dropped, on public interest grounds. Pip Hinman argues this is an important win.

teleSUR (2020-10-21). Nagorno-Karabakh: UEFA suspends matches in Azerbaijan – Armenia. telesurenglish.net UEFA, governing body of the European football, decided to suspend all club and national team competition matches in Armenia and Azerbaijan given the tense security situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, the organization's Executive Committee said on Tuesday. | RELATED: | "After having carefully monitored the evolution of the situation which broke out late September, which has already led to the relocation of a…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-21). Hopes rise of extension of New START arms control treaty as Russia offers to freeze arsenal. peoplesdispatch.org Russia on Tuesday offered to freeze its current arsenal, and proposed an extension of the treaty by one year. The treaty signed in 2010 capped the number of nuclear warheads by the two countries and its deployment…

teleSUR (2020-10-21). Air Pollution Killed 6.7 Million People in 2019. telesurenglish.net The organization State of Global Air revealed on Wednesday that air pollution is the 4th leading risk factor for early death worldwide and the most significant risk factor for death in India. | RELATED: | The report shows that worldwide air pollution killed 6.7 million people in 2019 alone, surpassed only by high systolic blood pressure, tobacco, and dietary risks. Also, ozone pollution accounted for nearly 365.000 deaths worldw…

Steven Sahiounie (2020-10-21). Iran Now Free to Buy and Sell Weapons Legally. globalresearch.ca The UN Security Council

2020-10-21: News Headlines

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2020-10-21). How Biden Flubbed Town Hall Foreign Policy Question. counterpunch.org Toward the end of Joe Biden's October 15 town hall session, a Trump supporter asked Biden the only foreign policy question of the night. "So peace is breaking out all over the world," the questioner claimed. "Our troops are coming home. Serbia is talking to Kosovo. And the Arabs and Israelis are talking peace, which

Shatha Hammad (2020-10-21). 'Paradise lost': How Israel turned the West Bank into a sewage dump for its settlements. middleeasteye.net 'Paradise lost': How Israel turned the West Bank into a sewage dump for its settlements | Untreated wastewater has destroyed the soil of Palestinian villages, causing their often ancient oilve trees to die | Wed, 10/21/2020 – 09: 14 | Residents and farmers say increasing quantities of sewage are being pumped onto their lands from the illegal settlements (MEE/Supplied) | Abdullah Maarouf typically t…

Pip Hinman (2020-10-21). A step forward over war crimes in Afghanistan. greenleft.org.au Serious criminal charges against ABC journalist Dan Oakes for reporting leaked material on Australian elite troops committing atrocities in Afghanistan have been dropped, on public interest grounds. Pip Hinman argues this is an important win.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-21). Millions of garment workers face job losses in Bangladesh. peoplesdispatch.org According to a recent study conducted by the Center for Global Workers Rights, "millions of workers are at greater risk of losing their jobs" due to global brands "demanding price cuts and delaying payments to suppliers"

Newsclick (2020-10-21). Indian beedi workers struggle due to pandemic. peoplesdispatch.org Workers in the beedi sector in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu are facing a deep crisis as the pandemic has affected the industry and severely reduced their incomes…

Stronger Together (2020-10-21). Women's March in Petaluma. indybay.org "This Presidency is the Worst Period Woman's Ever Had" and other messages from the North Bay.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-21). Boosting relations with Iranians, a priority for Turkey. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (MNA) — Hailing the great volume of relations between Iranians and Turkish people, a Turkish official called boosting relations with Iran as one of the priorities of his government.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-21). PGCC Sec. Gen. accuses Iran of creating tension in region. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (MNA) — On baseless and repetitive allegations, Secretary-General of the PGCC accused Iran of creating tensions in countries in the region such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-21). Domestic defense systems destroy all hostile targets in drill. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (MNA) — A spokesman for a large-scale air defense war game in Iran said all of the flying objects designed to mirror capabilities of hostile targets were brought down by homegrown missile systems on the first day of the exercise.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-21). Coronavirus cases climb toward a new peak in Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (MNA) — The coronavirus outbreak has been worsening in Iran, as the number of infections, hospitalizations and fatalities due to the respiratory disease has been increasing in the past days.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-21). Pressure on Iran to continue regardless of election outcome. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (MNA) — The US Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela claimed that Washington's so-called 'maximum pressure' policy against Iran will continue regardless of the upcoming presidential elections.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-21). Iran seeking to release nationals held by Mozambique Pirates. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (MNA) — President's Chief of Staff said Iran is doing its best to release some of its nationals held by Mozambique Pirates.

yenisafak (2020-10-21). Medical staff struggle against coronavirus in Iran. yenisafak.com Healthcare workers in Iran are struggling against the novel coronavirus as the country has seen a rising trend in infections and deaths in October. | A total of 164 Iranian medical personnel have died due to COVID-19, Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki said in a statement on Aug.22. | Since late August, a large number of health workers have tested positive for the coronavirus, while many others lost their lives due to the pandemic. | In Iran, especially in the capital Tehran, hospitals allocated to COVID-19 patients have reached their maximum capacity. Therefore, newly diagnosed patients are treated at their ho…

WSWS (2020-10-21). Statements from China and Sri Lanka in defence of Dr. Scalice against the attacks by the Stalinist CPP. wsws.org "The working class from all over the world must take seriously the threats and slanders unleashed by Sison against Dr. Scalice and come forward to defend him."

Aaron Maté (2020-10-20). Chomsky: OPCW cover-up of Syria probe is 'shocking'. thegrayzone.com Noam Chomsky says that the OPCW's cover-up, under US pressure, of a Syria chemical weapons probe raises "very severe suspicions." In his first public comments on the OPCW's Syria cover-up scandal, Noam Chomsky criticizes the chemical watchdog for suppressing, under US pressure, evidence that undermined the pretext for the US-led bombing of Syria in April 2018. The censorship recently extended to the UN Security Council, where the US, UK, and France blocked former OPCW Director General José Bustani from testifying …

Aaron Maté (2020-10-20). Chomsky: from nuclear weapons to Iran, Trump's worst threats are dangerously ignored. thegrayzone.com Noam Chomsky warns that the Trump administration poses a unique threat to humanity, and its most reckless policies are receiving far too little attention. Noam Chomsky discusses the White House's threats to the New START treaty, the last remaining accord limiting the US and Russia's nuclear weapons arsenals; its latest round of crippling sanctions and threats against Iran; the bipartisan US refusal to accept a Middle East Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone, which would terminate Israel's nuclear weapons program; and the silencing of …

Andrew Korybko (2020-10-20). The Expiry of The Iranian Arms Embargo. globalresearch.ca The 13-year-long anti-Iranian arms embargo expired on the 18th of October, which creates opportunities for the Islamic Republic to strengthen its national defense capabilities and cultivate even deeper relations with its top strategic partners such as China and Russia, possibly …

Staff (2020-10-20). Headlines for October 20, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Continues Attack on Fauci as U.S. Coronavirus Cases Surge and Death Toll Mounts, SCOTUS Deadlock Hands Victory to Voters in Pennsylvania as Floridians Break Early Voting Record, Debate Commission Announces Changes Ahead of Final Presidential Face-Off, Evo Morales Celebrates Victory of MAS Party, Says He Will Return to Bolivia, Trump Admin to Remove Sudan from U.S. List of Terrorist States, At Least 15 People Killed as Nigerian Protests Against Police Violence Continue, WSJ: U.S. Held Talks with Syrian Intelligence About Missing U.S. Citizens, Palestinian Prisoner in Critical Condition After Nearly 3 Months…

Aseel Jundi (2020-10-20). Israeli takes its attacks on UNRWA schools to the United Nations. middleeasteye.net Israeli takes its attacks on UNRWA schools to the United Nations | Israeli ambassador to the UN accuses its Relief and Works Agency of using curricula inciting against Israel, the latest move in a long campaign against the body | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 19: 12 | Palestinian children fly kites at a school belonging to UNRWA in Gaza City on 12 March 2018 as a protest against US aid cuts (AFP) | Israel's am…

MEE staff (2020-10-20). Ilhan Omar says Trump's attacks are posing a threat to her life. middleeasteye.net Ilhan Omar says Trump's attacks are posing a threat to her life | 'Every time the president has invoked my name, it has incited violence against me,' the congresswoman said | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 22: 13 | Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has received hundreds of death threats since being elected to office (AFP/File photo) | Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has said US President Donald Trump's repeated attacks and insults are pos…

Dan Beeton (2020-10-20). Two Interviews on the Bolivian Coup and Its Aftermath. cepr.net In interviews recorded for a new podcast, "While We were Sleeping," host Francesca Emanuele investigates overlooked cases of state violence and the human stories behind them. Two new interviews offer useful context for the October 18 general elections just carried out in Bolivia. In the first, Emanuele interviews Jhocelin Caspa, an Indigenous Aymara woman from …

sputniknews (2020-10-20). Nova Scotia Fishers' Rights; US Accuses Russians of Cyberwarfare. sputniknews.com Tensions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous fishermen come to a head in Nova Scotia, Canada, as angry mobs attack.

Kathy Kelly (2020-10-20). Afghanistan, Black Lives Matter, and Antiwar Activism. zcomm.org Interview on a variety of topics…

Martha Grevatt (2020-10-20). How do we defend reproductive justice? workers.org It appears likely that the Trump wing of the ruling class will ram through the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who is racist, pro-patriarchy, anti-woman, anti-LGBTQ2S+ and anti-worker. The Senate Judiciary Committee votes on the nomination Oct. 22, and the full Senate vote is expected before the . . . |

Prabhat Patnaik (2020-10-20). One hundred years of Indian communism. mronline.org The economic programme suggested for such a front included the right to strike, banning reductions of wages and dismissals of workers, an adequate minimum wage and 8-hour day, a 50 per cent reduction in rents and banning the seizure of peasant land against debt by imperialists, native princes, zamindars and money lenders.

MEE staff (2020-10-20). Kuwait's parliament passes law to cut expat population. middleeasteye.net Kuwait's parliament passes law to cut expat population | The new legislation sets in motion reforms to trim its foreign residents who make up 70 percent of the population, Bloomberg reports | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 19: 58 | Kuwaiti nationals themselves constitute only 30 percent of the population, with the total expatriate population standing at 3.4 million (AFP/File photo) | Kuwait's parliament has unanimously pas…

Areeb Ullah (2020-10-20). Qatar: Domestic workers still face abuse despite protection laws. middleeasteye.net Qatar: Domestic workers still face abuse despite protection laws | Research by Amnesty International reveals that Qatar has failed to implement its own laws that limit working hours and mandate paid holidays | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 11: 42 | Amnesty believes a lack of inspection mechanisms and Qatar's kafala system contribute to employers having excessive powers over workers (Reuters/file photo)
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Kim Petersen (2020-10-20). The Communist Party of China: Putting the People First. dissidentvoice.org Wherever we lift one soul from a life of poverty, we are defending human rights. And whenever we fail in this mission, we are failing human rights. — Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary-General Among other items "proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people," the preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights …

Ragip Soylu (2020-10-20). Turkey arrests Jordanian on suspicion of spying for UAE. middleeasteye.net Turkey arrests Jordanian on suspicion of spying for UAE | Sources tell MEE Ahmed al-Astal posed as a Muslim Brotherhood supporter to spy on Arab dissidents | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 10: 06 | Turkish police officers patrol in front of Hagia Sophia on 11 July 2020 in Istanbul (AFP) | Turkey's intelligence agency has arrested a Jordanian national on accusation of spying for the United Arab Emirates. | Turkish int…

John Winstead (2020-10-20). U.S. willing to risk nuclear arms race as New START negotiations go down to the wire. liberationnews.org The United States and Russia are locked in tense negotiations over the future of a key nuclear arms control treaty…

MEE staff (2020-10-20). Israeli firm signs deal to transport UAE oil to Europe. middleeasteye.net Israeli firm signs deal to transport UAE oil to Europe | The deal would create a cheaper, faster way to get oil from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean by bypassing Egypt's Suez Canal via a 'land bridge' | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 21: 37 | EAPC oil storage containers are seen on the shore of Israel's southern city of Ashkelon on 27 January, 2015 (Reuters/File photo) | An Israeli pipeline company has announced a prelimi…

MEE staff (2020-10-20). Turkish forces exit encircled military post in northern Syria. middleeasteye.net Turkish forces exit encircled military post in northern Syria | Sources told MEE that a combination of Russian and Syrian civilian pressure had forced Turkey's hand | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 15: 35 | A Turkish military convoy vacates the Morek post in Hama's countryside on 20 October 2020 (MEE/Ali Haj Suleiman) | Turkey has evacuated an observation station in Syria's northwestern Hama province that had been encircle…

Kim Scipes (2020-10-20). Fighting Racism in the US Marine Corps. counterpunch.org By 1971, the Marine Corps had suffered racial outbreaks at every major Marine base in the world, except one. In Vietnam, some units were disarmed after coming out of the bush, as there had been firefights between white and Black Marines. A celebration of Martin Luther King's life by Black Marines at Chu Lai in April 1969, one year after his assassination, had been surrounded by tanks. Racial "relations" were terrible. (As was true in all the other branches, in Vietnam, the US and on bases in Europe.)

Sondoss Al Assad (2020-10-20). Bahrain's Mounting Anger over the Monarchy's Official Formalization of Ties with Tel Aviv. thealtworld.com A joint delegation, led by US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, headed to Manama on Sunday, hoping to ink a communique that officially bolster the US-brokered normalization deal and establish the embassies in the two capitals. | According to the US Treasury, the trip focused on inking memorandums of understanding that cover trade, aviation services, telecommunications, finance as well as economic cooperation, tourism, science and technology. | Public Outrage: | Streams of citizens, from different backgrounds and affiliations, flood the streets across Bahrain in huge peaceful push to vehemently denounce the visit.

Carol Polsgrove (2020-10-20). Nuclear War Makes a Comeback. counterpunch.org On websites where policy makers, scholars, and military leaders gather, concern about the possibility of nuclear war has been rising sharply in recent months as China, the United States, and Russia develop new weapons and new ways of using old ones. On War on the Rocks, an online platform for national security articles and podcasts,

Eds. (2020-10-20). Neoliberal 'Omnibus Law' sparks rebellion in Indonesia. mronline.org A major protest movement is underway in Indonesia against the neoliberal, authoritarian-populist regime of Joko Widodo and his collaborators in the House of Representatives. Frans Ari Prasetyo explains the so-called 'Omnibus Law' that sparked the protest, and reports on the clashes now unfolding in Bandung and many other cities.

Anand Naidoo (2020-10-20). The Heat: China's economy. america.cgtn.com China's economy is surging ahead. We will take a look at the numbers and how China's experience can drive the world's recovery.

Umar A Farooq (2020-10-20). Keith Ellison faces mounting criticism over attendance at Yitzhak Rabin memorial. middleeasteye.net Keith Ellison faces mounting criticism over attendance at Yitzhak Rabin memorial | Minnesota attorney general has been accused of 'ignoring Palestinian voices' by agreeing to attend event honouring the legacy of late Israeli prime minister | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 18: 26 | Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is slated to appear at a memorial service for former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (…

RT (2020-10-20). Televangelist Pat Robertson predicts Trump will win re-election and bring about THE END TIMES. rt.com Christian Broadcasting Network founder Pat Robertson has predicted that President Donald Trump will secure re-election, which he says will then lead to the end of the world. | "…The next thing is the election that's coming up in just a few weeks, at which time, according to what I believe the Lord told me, the president is going to be re-elected," Robertson prophesized during his show on Tuesday. The preacher then added that Trump's victory is "going to lead to civil unrest, and then a war against Israel and so forth…" | According to Robertson, the war's outcome has also already been pre-determined. "There…

RT (2020-10-20). 'Hold me responsible' for drug war killings — Philippines leader Duterte. rt.com Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has said he takes responsibility for the thousands of killings by police in his anti-drug crackdown, claiming he was ready to go to jail if it served his country. | In a televised speech on Monday night, Duterte, whose government has been heavily criticized by international organizations for nearly 6,000 killings committed during anti-drug police operations, said he was ready to be punished. | If there's killing there, I'm saying I'm the one… you can hold me responsible for anything, any death that has occurred in the execution of the drug war. | "Bring me to court to be…

RT (2020-10-20). UAE wants to exchange embassies with Israel 'as soon as possible'. rt.com The United Arab Emirates wants its embassy in Tel Aviv to be opened "as soon as possible" and hopes Israel will reciprocate in Abu Dhabi, the Israeli Foreign Ministry has said, as rapprochement between the former foes continues. | The intention was announced in a letter from Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, delivered to his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi by a high-ranking UAE delegation which landed in Tel Aviv on Tuesday. | In the missive — which, according to Israeli media, was written in Hebrew — Zayed told the Israeli FM that the UAE had "full trust in your unequivocal s…

RT (2020-10-20). Greece urges EU states to stop military exports to Turkey & consider suspending customs union deal. rt.com Athens wants EU countries to halt military exports to Turkey, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said on Tuesday, accusing Ankara of violating the criteria of integration into the bloc. | Speaking of the request to other EU members to stop the exports, Dendias claimed that "this equipment is being used in actions that destabilize our region." | "Turkey continues to violate the fundamental criteria of integration into the EU," Dendias added. Ankara's entry talks with the EU started in 1999, but have been long stalled. | The minister said that he has also written to EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi,…

RT (2020-10-20). What's 'verifiable'? Extension of US-Russia nuclear New START treaty hinges on word. rt.com The sole remaining US-Russia nuclear arms control deal may get a last-moment extension after all, but everything now depends on what the US State Department means when it says warhead caps need to be "verifiable." | New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) is scheduled to expire in February 2021. While Russia has offered a "clean" renewal of the existing treaty, without preconditions, the Trump administration has first sought to expand it to include China, then demanded a limit on total nuclear warheads as a condition for agreeing to an extension. | The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that Russia i…

RT (2020-10-20). 'One of the most impressive phenomena in modern Russia': Communist leader Zyuganov asks Kremlin to listen to Khabarovsk protesters. rt.com The leader of Russia's Communist Party has called for the government to "hear the voice of the people" in Khabarovsk, where citizens have been protesting daily for more than three months over the arrest of their former governor. | Writing on Twitter, four-time presidential candidate Gennady Zyuganov called the demonstrations "one of the most impressive phenomena in modern Russia," and asked the Kremlin to listen to the concerns of the aggrieved and "take the path of development and progress." | –í –•–∞–±–∞—Ä–æ–≤—…

RT (2020-10-20). Russian Cabinet strikes down proposed law to ban transgender people from amending sex assigned at birth on official documents. rt.com Russian authorities have rejected amendments to the country's family code, which would have enshrined in law a ban on marriage and adoption by same-sex couples, and restricted transgender people from officially changing gender. | The proposed laws, written by Senator Elena Mizulina, were focused on the rights to be the parent of a child, including changing the rules for deprivation of custody. If passed, the new family code would have taken custody decisions into the hands of the court, meaning that a parent would have to be found guilty before their offspring could be removed. | However, most prominently, the…

Umar A Farooq (2020-10-20). Khashoggi's fiancee sues Saudi crown prince over journalist's murder. middleeasteye.net Khashoggi's fiancee sues Saudi crown prince over journalist's murder | Lawsuit seeks discovery from US officials to prove that the killing was ordered from the top of the Saudi leadership | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 16: 31 | Jamal Khashoggi's fiancee Hatice Cengiz filed the civil lawsuit against Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other officials (AFP/File photo) | Hatice Cengiz, the fiance…

Rep. Ron Paul (2020-10-20). Troops Coming Home from Afghanistan? Depends on Who You Ask. globalresearch.ca There is a lot to cheer about when it comes to most of President Trump's foreign policy statements. He regularly tells us he is ending foreign wars and bringing troops home. But do the people who work for him even …

Tony Cartalucci (2020-10-20). US Seeks to Prolong Terrorism in Syria, Not Defeat It. globalresearch.ca Recent attacks on Syrian positions from terrorists of the self-proclaimed "Islamic State" (ISIS) and the release of thousands of prisoners in US-occupied eastern Syria illustrate how Washington is demonstratably prolonging instability in Syria as part of its promise to transform …

sputniknews (2020-10-20). UN Urges Greek, Turkish Cypriots to Avoid Steps That Erode Prospects for Talks. sputniknews.com UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expects that the election of Ersin Tatar as the president of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) will help to bring the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities closer together, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

The Canary (2020-10-20). Violence continues to threaten Afghan peace process. thecanary.co 2020 marked the beginning of what some have hailed as "historic" peace talks between Afghanistan's US-backed government and the Taliban. But despite the Qatar based negotiations, this week has seen renewed violence in the country. | The US special envoy to Afghanistan has warned that "distressingly high" levels of violence threaten to derail ongoing peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. | Zalmay Khalilzad's comments come as days of renewed fighting have plagued Afghanistan's southern Helmand province, a long-time Taliban stronghold. The US launched airstrikes in Helmand Province on 12 October…